This invention relates to a suction tube for use with an enteral feeding catheter, and to an enteral feeding tube assembly.
Enteral eeding is the medical procedure whereby food is delivered directly to the intestine following, for example, a stomach operation. Liquid nutrients are usually supplied through a catheter inserted into the intestine through the patient's nose and alimentary canal. A suction tube is often necessary to remove unwanted liquids and gases from the region of the operation.
The feeding catheter and suction tube may be separately inserted, one through each nostril, but this has the disadvantage that both nostrils are blocked, which is painful to the patient.
An alternative `duplex` construction is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 222067/1985 in which a single tube has feeding and suction lumens.
An enteral feeding catheter normally has a relatively small diameter compared with the suction tube. Following an operation the suction tube can usually be removed after several days whereas the feeding catheter may remain in-situ for a comparatively long period. The `duplex` type feeding tube has the disadvantage that although only one nostril is blocked, the patient must endure pain from the relatively large bore suction tube long after the need for suction has passed.